Whispers of an Angel
by lazybum89
Summary: A man in a trench coat, although technically it's an overcoat, keeps saving X5-494's life. The question is why?
1. The First Time

**Disclaimer**: I so, so wish I own these. But sadly, it is not to be.

**Background**: Ah the background, well you have to know what Dark Angel is as it takes place mainly in that universe and mostly pre-series as it is mostly from Alec's point of view before he joins Max in Seattle. For Supernatural, you need to know that Dean and Sam both said yes to Michael and Lucifer way back during season five but their souls were saved and they are now in Heaven while their bodies are trapped in the Cage (I'm in the process of writing this story right now, I just wanted to start posting this story as it's been sitting on my computer for months now). This first chapter would have happened about a month or so after that had happened.

**A/N**: Alec/494 may seem a little out of character but remember while reading this, that Castiel is seeing him during his lowest points. Also there are five chapters and I will post one chapter a week until I'm finished with this story.

**Beta**: Lady of the Shards

* * *

**Whispers of an Angel**

Chapter 1 – The First Time

The first time X5-494 met the man in the trench coat, although he was later told it was an overcoat, was when he was approximately ten years old, he didn't know his birthday after all. He had just spent another vigorous day and night in Psy-Ops because his twin had escaped months ago and Manticore wanted to make sure it wasn't a genetic disposition to run. He was nowhere near finished with his testing – 494 knew this by the fact he was still in a cell close to Psy-Ops as opposed to being in the barracks.

He could barely move from where he was lying on the floor where the guards left him, instead of being put on the bed that was in the room. He was sure he was dying, that the doctors went too far with their testing finally and he was going to die, like the anomaly he now was due to his twin. He would never be trusted again. That was, if he ever made it out of this cell. He was sure he was not going to survive the night.

There was a fluttering sound, like wings, suddenly in his cell. Now he was delusional. All those drugs from Psy-Ops were finally getting to him. Manticore was going to put him with the anomalies in the basement as he was compromised.

"You are not crazy, young one," came a deep voice from above him.

He didn't jump, 494 could barely move after all with all his injuries and drugs and he was an X5. He didn't scare easily.

There was the sound of someone or something – you never knew where Manticore put the anomalies and he _was_ close to the basement – walking towards him.

Well, 494 was not going to die lying down on his back. He was going to go out fighting.

He barely raised his head off the ground to look at the threat. It was just a man in a trench coat. He tensed regardless of the man's appearance as he was really close to 494 and due to what Manticore taught him and –

Stared.

The man stared back at him with, what 494 could only describe as, soulful eyes and he suddenly understood the meaning of what soulful eyes were too.

The man tilted his head slightly to the left, and suddenly looked sad as he said, "You look just like him when he was that age."

Before 494 could even think of questioning the man, let alone think of a question to ask, the man was talking again and said, "Rest." The man then bent over – 494 didn't think the man did anything as undignified as kneel on his knees – touched his forehead and 494 knew no more.

When he woke up for his next round of testing, he was alone, – except for the guards who were sent for him – completely healed, with no signs of ever having been injured in the first place, and on the bed.


	2. The Second Time

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Background: See Chapter 1.

A/N: See Chapter 1. Thanks for the review, favorites and follows! They mean a lot as always! :-)

Beta: Lady of the Shards

* * *

Chapter 2 – The Second Time

After X5-494 spent a total of six months in Psy-Ops and had undergone extreme re-indoctrination, he was sent to a new unit, all units had been reorganized in the months after the escape, and life continued on at Manticore as if none of the X-series had escaped, except for the fact that they were now in a new facility and Colonel Lydecker was searching for the twelve escapees.

For his part, 494 tried to forget everything that happened except for his training, which included the man in the trench coat. He was sure he was a hallucination anyway.

Years passed with hours upon hours of training and 494 was now being sent on his first away mission, which he was sure was going to be a success.

It was this mission which happened to be the second time 494, who was roughly fourteen years old, met the man in a trench coat.

He had just completed the mission – gathering intel for Manticore from a South African political power about something known as Project Red – when from behind him, he heard the door open to the house. He fought to sigh. Screw (and can 494 say how much he enjoyed the course Common Verbal Usage) those health nuts out there who like to walk everywhere.

He secured the intel he had just gathered and hid himself just as the door to the office he was in opened.

A man walked into the room and went to the desk. 494 carefully slipped out of the room when the man's back was turned towards him and the door. What 494 failed to realize was that there was more than just one set of footsteps in the house.

He realized there was another person, a bodyguard, who was armed just as he was shot in the leg causing him to drop to the ground.

If he survived this, 494 vowed to pay better attention in the class that taught you how to compensate, like if your enhanced hearing was compromised, so the next time he wouldn't make such an X6 mistake. That way, if he couldn't hear the separate footsteps at a distance, at least he could focus on the heartbeats or smell them.

He was picked up by the arms by the bodyguard, dragged back into the office, secured to a chair in front of the man at the desk, who was doing paperwork and thus didn't look up as they entered the office, and searched for weapons –494 played docile, his orders were not to make a mess if it could be helped. Luckily, he secured the intel somewhere it wouldn't be found on a weapons search.

The bodyguard then took a step back, pointed his gun at 494 and waited for the man at the desk to finish his paperwork. The man took his time – as if there wasn't a teenager tied to a chair in front of him – before he finally looked up and smiled.

"Good afternoon. Who are you?"

494 said the name of one of his trainers. He didn't have an alias for this mission as he wasn't supposed to run into anyone and Manticore didn't give him a cover. Maybe he should bring it up with someone?

The man smiled wider and said, "Tell the truth, young man. Who are you and why are you here?"

494 said the name again while adding, "I just thought I would steal some paintings. You didn't have any though." He tried to shrug. It was a good thing he got top marks in his class that had the X5s assimilating to new situations as soon as possible.

The man laughed and gestured to his bodyguard who tucked his gun into his pants and punched 494 in the face.

"I said the truth," the man said still smiling as if he didn't just okay the punch and they were just having a conversation over a drink – not that 494 ever had the experience but he now understood the reference he spent hours studying.

Either that top mark was undeserved, Manticore had low standards or the man was a suspicious person. 494 was going to go with the man being a suspicious person – that top mark was well-earned and Manticore would never lower themselves to have low standards.

So 494 repeated himself and got a backhand to the face and punch to the stomach.

"Who do you work for?" asked the man. He was no longer smiling now.

"No one," said 494. He got a hit to the bullet wound for his troubles.

"What are you after?" asked the man.

"Nothing," wheezed 494 through the pain. His trainers weren't kidding about interrogation techniques though this beating was weak compared to what he had been through at the hand of said trainers.

The bodyguard broke a finger for his answer.

It went on for over two hours like this – 494 gaining many more broken bones – before the man, 494 never learned his name, decided that 494 was telling the truth as he laid on the floor still tied to the chair.

"Kill him and get rid of the body," the man told his bodyguard and he left the office.

"With pleasure," grinned the bodyguard at 494.

Maybe 494 shouldn't have called into question the bodyguard's intelligence as he was answering the repetitive questions.

The bodyguard pulled his gun out of his pants and shot 494 twice in the abdomen and walked out of the room telling 494, "I'll be back in an hour after you've bled to death. Shame, we're going to have to burn the carpet."

He did all of that before 494 could think of getting out of his restraints and killing the bodyguard. The bodyguard was faster than he looked.

494 laid his head down on the floor, still tied to the chair, and hoped, rather morbidly, the bodyguard got rid of his body in a really good way. He didn't want Manticore to harvest his body, he had seen it happen once before to an X5, though he would deserve it for dying as he had.

His ears felt fuzzy and like they ringing at the same time. It was new experience to 494, dying like this. This helplessness and hopelessness reminded him of that time in the cell when he hallucinated the man in a trench coat appearing and healing him.

"It was not a hallucination and technically, it's an overcoat," said a deep, grave voice suddenly from above him.

494 did not jump – he didn't have the strength to as he slowly bled to death on this really nice carpet.

Suddenly he was touched on the forehead and –

He felt fine. He felt perfectly fine. All of his bones were healed. His bruises gone. His gunshot wounds healed. It was like the past few hours had never happened. He glanced at his body to make sure. Everything was healed - even his clothes were mended.

He looked up – as he was still tied to the chair on the floor – and the man in the trench coat, overcoat, was above him, looking at him with a serious expression on his face.

The man tilted his head at 494 and said, "You shouldn't still be here when the man comes back."

494 stared and said, "I'm still tied to the chair and I haven't exactly got anything to untie myself."

The man continued to stare at 494 and 494 was impressed at his ability to not blink. The man said suddenly, "I think we both know that's not true, young one."

494 stared for a moment longer before he suddenly grinned and said, "True." He was untied and out of the chair in under a minute – a personal best for 494.

"Time for you to go, young one," said the man in the overcoat.

"Why do you call me that?" asked 494, confused.

The man tilted his head.

"'Young one,'" explained 494.

"That is what you are and you have no name yet," explained the man as he walked over to where 494 was standing.

"My designation is," started 494 as the man touched his shoulder and they left the office only to reappear outside, right next to the spot where 494 was to have his rendezvous with his handler, "494," he finished looking around confused as to how he arrived at his new spot.

The man scowled – 494 felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the potential danger but not quite sure where it was coming from – and said, "That is not a name."

"What's your name then?" asked 494.

The man stared at him.

494 quickly backtracked and said, "If I can ask that, I mean, sir."

The man continued to stare for a minute – and 494 was sure he had yet to see him blink – before he said, "There is no need to call me 'sir.' My name is Castiel."

"Castiel? What kind of name is that?" asked 494.

Castiel looked at him as if he were unsure if 494 was joking or not.

"It was the name I was given upon my creation," explained Castiel.

"You mean your birth?" asked 494.

"No," said Castiel simply.

There was the sound of a car driving in the distance that 494 could hear – one of Manticore's cars. Finally something was working out for him and he wasn't late for his rendezvous.

"You should be more careful in the future," said Castiel and then he disappeared, leaving 494 staring at the spot Castiel was at moments before. 494 wondered if Castiel was always going to depart like that. He still had questions.

The sound of a car door opening snapped him out of his thoughts and staring.

"Any problems, X5-494?" asked his handler as he walked over to him.

494 snapped to attention and said, succinctly, "No, sir. Mission was a success."


	3. Third Time – A Charm or a Curse?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Background: See Chapter 1.

A/N: See Chapter 1. Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows! They mean a lot as always! :-)

Beta: Lady of the Shards

* * *

Chapter 3 – Third Time – A Charm or a Curse?

After meeting the man in the trench coat or overcoat or Castiel or whatever for a second time, 494 was determined not to run into him again. Not that he was ungrateful to the man for saving his life twice, but because 494 was unsure if Castiel even _was_ a man.

494 knew no human could disappear like Castiel did nor could they heal someone like he had. 494 knew of no one at Manticore like that which meant that Castiel was something else entirely and 494 was unsure if he wanted to meet him again.

So, 494 did what Castiel asked and he was careful. He was careful during his training, doubly careful on his missions and he gave the trainers and/or leaders of Manticore no reason to throw him back into Psy-Ops.

All in all, it was working well and 494 did not see Castiel for a few years.

Until that fateful mission that changed everything.

494 had just come back to his room – they had their own separate rooms now since the first of the females went into heat – from training for his first deep cover mission, he would be a piano teacher to his target's daughter and so he had to learn how to play piano, when he heard the telltale signs of Castiel's arrival behind him. He was confused though. So far Castiel had only shown up when he was dying.

Without turning around from where he was standing facing the wall, 494 said, with confusion in his voice, "I'm not dying."

"I know," said Castiel's deep voice.

494 waited a moment to see if Castiel would continue. He didn't.

"Why are you here?" asked 494, turning around to look at him. He was still dressed the same way with the same serious look on his face and didn't appear to have aged at all. Even 494's trainers aged in the years that had passed and 494 was almost sure they were machines.

Castiel tilted his head and looked deeply into 494's eye for a moment before he said, "You can't go on this mission."

494 looked taken aback and said, "What?"

Castiel repeated himself.

"Why the hell not?" asked 494, angrily. "You can't stop me. This is my _job."_

Castiel was silent for a moment before he said, intently, "You are _more_ than this. You do not need to do this."

"What am I more than?" asked 494 heatedly. Who did Castiel think he was, after all? He didn't even know 494. "This is my life! I have nothing else. I'm not even completely human."

Castiel stared at him hard with his soulful eyes. "That is not true. I can see your soul. It shines as brightly as any other human soul."

494 stared at Castiel, eyes suddenly shinning brightly but no tears falling. Tears got you no where after all.

"How can it?" he asked, and his voice did not break. He was stronger than that. "After all I've done?" All the people he had killed in his last three missions. How could his _soul_ still shine after all that? He didn't even wonder how Castiel could _see_ his soul.

Castiel didn't say anything for a moment though he continued to stare at 494 before he said, "Because you _are_ a good person, young one. Never doubt that."

Before 494 could reply to that, he heard footsteps coming in his direction and said, one more time, steeling himself, "I have to go on this mission. It's my job."

Castiel looked at him and said, "I know but now you know you are more than the job, more than a machine for this place to use. You _are_ a human being and a good person."

Then Castiel disappeared and a second later his door opened; 494's mask was firmly back in place as if it had never slipped.

More training on the piano.

* * *

_After the mission_

494 was in a cell near Psy-Ops.

He wanted to forget. He wanted to not care. He wanted this round to stick, to become the relentless, coldblooded killer machine that Manticore wanted him to be.

It would hurt less, he was sure.

He got her killed.

Rachel.

She didn't deserve that.

There was the sound of fluttering wings and Castiel was there. 494 was getting used to his presence but he didn't want him here today. 494 wanted this pain. He deserved it.

"Leave me alone," said 494 tonelessly, staring blankly at the wall.

Castiel didn't say anything nor did he leave. He walked over to where 494 was lying and sat down beside him.

There was silence for a few minutes, only the sound of 494's uneven breathing was heard in the room.

"I don't want to be human. I want to be the killing machine that Manticore wants me to be," said 494, still tonelessly. He didn't care anymore.

"No, you don't," said Castiel, simply, as if they were discussing something simple, not the meaning behind 494's existence.

"I do," said 494, still tonelessly and still staring blankly at the wall.

494 could sense Castiel turned to look but he kept looking at the wall. Castiel then said, "I know you feel like it now, especially with the _reprogramming_ you are going through," 494 thought he said reprogramming disdainfully, "but it will get better, young one. As I was once told, what you are feeling is part of being human."

Ignoring parts of what Castiel said for the moment due to his own misery, 494 focused on one part and asked, "What am I feeling?"

"Heartbreak," said Castiel, simply.

"How does it go away?" asked 494, still tonelessly. He started to wonder if should be worried about that.

"Time," said Castiel and he put something in 494's hand simultaneously healing him – but 494 took no notice of it as he was in too much emotional pain.

494 finally looked away from the wall as he looked down at his hand to see what Castiel put there. It was the heart-shaped locket he tore from Rachel's neck – which Manticore took from him and threw away.

"Keep it," said Castiel, with an intensity that 494 had never heard before.

"Why – " started 494.

"There will come a day when you will need to be reminded of what being human is like – everyone does. Keep it," said Castiel.

494 nodded once, not really understanding but trusting Castiel - the only person he did trust, and asked, "Can you put it in my room? It will never leave this cell with me."

Castiel nodded once before he disappeared.

494 turned back towards the wall.

Rachel.

A single tear fell before he could stop it just as the door opened for more punishment.


	4. Again?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Background: See Chapter 1.

A/N: See Chapter 1. Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites! They mean a lot as always! :-)

Beta: Lady of the Shards

* * *

Chapter 4 – Again?

There was the sound of fluttering wings that accompanied the sound of Castiel's arrival, as always, but 494 couldn't bring himself to move, either physically or emotionally. He was lying on his back, on the floor, staring at the ceiling as he had been doing long before Castiel's arrival.

"Why do you keep showing up?" asked 494, tonelessly.

"As I've told you last night and many nights previous, if your superiors keep treating your mind like this, it will eventually stop working and you will cease to exist, young one," responded Castiel from where he stood.

"I bet they would love it if I was a mindless body for them to direct," said 494 without any humor.

Castiel was silent as he walked over to where 494 was lying on the floor. He was silent still as he reached down and healed 494 of all his physical injuries.

"Thanks," said 494.

"You're welcome," said Castiel as he straightened up, but he didn't move from where he was standing over 494.

After he was healed, 494 still did not move from the floor from where he was lying as had become the tradition since he came to be back in Psy-Ops due to his twin's, 493, new found psychosis and subsequent killing spree.

"Can I ask you something, Castiel?" asked 494, not looking at Castiel.

"You may," said Castiel, simply, tilting his head curiously.

"Why did you save me all those years ago?" He still didn't look at Castiel, instead choosing to continue looking at the ceiling.

Castiel was silent for a moment before he said, "You reminded me of someone else I once saved."

"What happened to them?" asked 494, finally moving his head to look at Castiel.

Castiel was silent again, a profound silence that made 494 think that Castiel wasn't going to answer him.

"He made a choice that saved the world," Castiel eventually said.

494 was silent the rest of the night as he absorbed what Castiel said, and Castiel was a silent presence in the horrible place that was Psy-Ops as he was for the rest of 494's six month duration there.


	5. What Now?

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Background: See Chapter 1.

A/N: See Chapter 1. This is the final chapter of this story! Thanks for reading and reviewing! :-) Catch ya at the sequel and prequel (when I've finished writing them)! Apologies for being late in posting this final chapter. Overtime at work...

Beta: Lady of the Shards

* * *

Chapter 5 – What Now?

Alec – he was Alec now, not just 494 – laid on the bed of the motel he had checked into for the night.

Manticore was gone. Manticore themselves had burned the facility to the ground after Max had used Eye's Only to expose them. He saw it with his own eyes (as there had been no one outside to attack them).

Alec wasn't sure how he felt about that. After all, he knew where he belonged there. Out here in the world, Alec had no idea.

He could adapt though. It shouldn't be too hard, right? He had a name at least.

There was the sound of fluttering wings and Alec wasn't surprised anymore. Castiel seemed to show up whenever Alec needed him, whether Alec realized it or not – or wanted him to be there or not.

Alec looked up at Castiel and was surprised at the look on his face, especially since he wasn't looking at anything in particular. It was a look that was a cross between profound sadness and fondness.

"Are you all right?" asked Alec to Castiel as he sat up in the bed.

Castiel inclined his head and said, "I'm fine. I'm just remembering a fond memory." Castiel tilted his head and looked at Alec and said, "What of you, Alec," Alec was surprised – it was the first time Castiel had addressed him by a name and not 'young one,' especially since he refused to refer to Alec by his designation, "are you well after your evening?"

"How did you know what Max named me?" asked Alec, ignoring the question in lieu of getting an answer to his question.

Castiel smiled slightly, another first for Alec, and said, "Max was right. It suits you."

Alec frowned and said, "You were there when she named me?"

"No," said Castiel.

"Then how did you know?" asked Alec.

"You are my charge and I was checking in on you from where I was in Heaven when I saw her name you. I'm glad I did," explained Castiel matter of factly.

"Heaven?" asked Alec.

Castiel inclined his head slightly, face again blank, and asked, "You've never suspected what I might be?"

Alec shook his head. He had no real time or resources to search for what Castiel might be though, to be honest, Alec never really tried very hard despite all the hints Castiel had dropped.

Castiel stared at Alec – as Castiel tended to do when he was making a decision – before he said, "I'm an Angel of the Lord."

Before Alec could do or say anything to that statement, it was as if Castiel caused lightening behind him. Suddenly there was the silhouette of two black wings behind him that rose up, as did the hair on the back of Alec's neck warning him of potential danger, and stayed there for a minute before Castiel subtly relaxed himself and the wings, and lightening, disappeared.

Alec was silent for a few minutes as he relaxed himself while Castiel watched him silently. Then Alec let out an impressed noise and said, "Wow. Those are impressive."

Castiel simply said, "Thank you."

"So an angel?" asked Alec after a few more minutes of silence.

"Yes," said Castiel.

"As in God?" asked Alec. Manticore had taught them the basics of all religions. He wasn't a believer though. How could he be in that place?

"Yes," said Castiel, again, watching Alec intently.

"And you've been watching me? Saving me?" asked Alec.

"Yes," said Castiel for a third time.

"Why?" asked Alec. "Why me?"

Castiel tilted his head slightly to the side and said, "Perhaps it's because you've asked that question is the reason you needed saved."

Alec was confused and asked, "What?"

"You are not the first person I have saved who has asked that question and he, too, deserved to be saved. You and he are more alike than you realize," said Castiel with a tiny, fond smile.

Alec didn't know what to say to that, but he assumed it was a good thing judging but the tone of voice Castiel had and the tiny smile on his normally blank face.

Castiel focused his attention back on Alec and said, "Now answer my previous question, Alec. Are you well this evening?"

Alec shrugged and said, "No injuries that won't heal with time."

"I can heal them for you," said Castiel, already moving towards him.

Alec moved quickly, not quite blurring, back from Castiel and said, "No. I deserve these ones."

Castiel stopped in his movements, stared and said, "You didn't know they had injected Max before you got your mission and by then it was too late to do anything. It's not your fault."

"I could have warned her," argued Alec.

"You know as well as I, that Max would not have believed you. She would have thought it was a trick," explained Castiel.

Alec sighed, stood up from the bed and said, "I know, but –"

"Logan Cale is well. It is not his time to die," said Castiel.

"Yeah?" asked Alec looking at Castiel.

Castiel simply inclined his head as if knowing Alec needed the reassurance.

"Is there anything you can do about the virus in Max?" asked Alec after a moment.

Castiel suddenly looked sad and said, "No."

"Why not?" asked Alec, angrily.

"It still has a role to play and there are certain things, I have learned, that I can't interfere with," explained Castiel.

Alec still looked angry.

"I promise you, Alec, that the moment I am able to, I will heal your friend, Max," promised Castiel as Alec snorted. "She is your friend, Alec, don't ever doubt it. It may not seem like it now, but you will be very good friends."

They were both silent as Alec absorbed what Castiel had said and thought about it.

"Well what am I suppose to do now? What's my mission?" asked Alec, looking perhaps a little loss.

"Survive," said Castiel, even more serious than usual.

"Survive?" repeated Alec, raising an eyebrow, somewhat amused.

Castiel nodded once and said, "Live your life as you want now. You have free will now. You get to make your own decisions and live with the consequences of those decisions."

Alec smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess I do now."

"If you ever need me, and I'm not already there, pray directly to me and I will come," said Castiel and after Alec nodded, somewhat confusedly, he disappeared.

Alec stood stock still in the motel room for a moment, wondering what to do now that he was alone before the answer came to him.

Women.

He wondered, as he left the motel room, if he could find anyone like Lola around here.


End file.
